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July 14, 2026

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US President Donald Trump gestures as he steps off Air Force One to board the new Qatari-gifted Boeing plane, en route to the United States following his participation in the NATO Summit at Royal Air Force Mildenhall on July 8, 2026, in Mildenhall, England.

Trump says US to strike Iran's Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site

Satellite imagery has detected recent construction at the underground facility.

A man holds a Syrian flag across the street from the White House after Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with President Donald Trump at White House in Washington, on Nov. 10, 2025.

Syria, US hold first business forum since sanctions relief: What to know

The one-day forum in Damascus was organized by Syria’s Ministry of Economy and Industry and the US-Syria Business Council, which was established in Washington last June to advance trade and investment between the two nations.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at a Council of Ministers meeting in Baghdad on July 11, 2026.

Analysis

On first foreign trip, Iraqi PM Zaidi woos Trump but Iran casts long shadow

Iraq's new prime minister is in Washington promising business deals and closer ties with the United States, but convincing the Trump administration he can rein in Iran-backed militias may prove his toughest challenge.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Oil climbs after US strikes Iran, Trump vows to control Strait of Hormuz

US Central Command said in a statement early on Monday that it struck dozens of Iranian targets overnight as Iran targeted American bases across the Gulf.

Latest News

Trump says US to resume naval blockade of Iran's ports

U.S. President Donald Trump returns to Joint Base Andrews on July 09, 2026 in Washington, DC. Trump, switched from the old Air Force One to the new Air Force One while stopping in the U.K. at RAF Mildenhall Air Force Base was returning from his visit to Ankara, Turkey where he attended the NATO summit. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Analysis

From S-400s to SAMP/T: Turkey’s defense pivot gathers pace after NATO summit

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pose after signing a defense partnership agreement on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, July 8, 2026.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Adam Lucente

News and Business Correspondent

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Elizabeth Hagedorn

Diplomatic Correspondent

In Washington, DC, reporting on diplomacy, regional politics, human rights

Jared Szuba

Defense and Security Correspondent

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

Joyce Karam

Editor-in-Chief

Rosaleen Carroll

News Reporter and Supporting Editor

In Washington, DC, US, reporting on the Middle East

Paul J. Saunders

In Washington, DC, reporting on Russia in the Middle East

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) arrives for a procedural vote on the confirmation of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., October 5, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas - RC127649F840

Intel: Elizabeth Warren’s first 2020 interview shows Democrats in bind over Syria

Turkish-backed Syrian rebels stand with their weapons at Manbij countryside, Syria December 29, 2018. REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi - RC1C44664B70

Turkish battle plan for Syria shaky despite Trump's promised pullout

Turkey's initial satisfaction over the United States' abrupt Syria withdrawal announcement is being tempered by doubts over Washington’s true intentions and awareness of the obstacles that still remain to a Turkish incursion.

Lebanese Army soldiers ride on their military vehicles in Ras Baalbek, Lebanon August 28, 2017. REUTERS/Hassan Abdallah - RC176820F100

US doubles down on military aid to Lebanon

The Donald Trump administration is providing Lebanon’s army with more than $100 million in upgrades to tanks and attack helicopters.

U.S. and Turkish soldiers conduct the first-ever combined joint patrol outside Manbij, Syria, November 1, 2018. Picture taken November 1, 2018. Courtesy Arnada Jones/U.S. Army/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC17C4EA11D0

Trump signals possible flexibility on pace of Syria withdrawal

President Donald Trump signaled possible flexibility in the pace of a US withdrawal from Syria, saying the United States would protect the Kurds.

Protester Murat Yusa testifies before the House Foreign Affairs Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats Subcommittee about the attack on demonstrators by members of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's security detail on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S. May 25, 2017. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein - RC1E7F50C930

Lawsuit over Washington violence looms over US-Turkey relations

Kurdish protesters who were pummeled by President Erdogan’s security detail last year are seeking millions in damages in US federal court.

A Coalition convoy of U.S. led international coalition against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) stops to test fire their M2 machine guns and MK19 grenade launcher in the Middle Euphrates River Valley in the Deir ez-Zor province, Syria, November 22, 2018. Picture taken November 22, 2018. Courtesy Matthew Crane/U.S. Army/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC168AA782C0

US-led coalition scrambles to realign Islamic State mission following Syria exit

The global coalition is turning its attention to Iraq to avoid a resurgence of the Islamic State.

Iranian rials, U.S. dollars and Iraqi dinars are seen at a currency exchange shop in Basra, Iraq November 3, 2018. Picture taken November 3, 2018. REUTERS/Essam al-Sudani - RC1645948610

Iran pushes Iraq to maintain trade without US dollar

Iran is pushing for an agreement with the Iraqi Central Bank to maintain trade in local currencies after dollar-base trade halted following the reimposition of US sanctions.

Ankara seeking Russian permission for use of Syrian airspace

Ankara’s primary lesson learned from its two operations in northern Syria is not to enter Syria without air superiority.

Is Egypt's judiciary going soft on NGOs?

The acquittal verdict of 43 nongovernmental organization workers and the launch of community dialogues on amending a law curbing NGOs pave the way for a new chapter between the regime and NGOs in Egypt.

Putin’s next act: Syrian-Turkish rapprochement

The Russian president still needs the United States to keep the pace, and the peace, in Syria.

United Arab Emirates

Russia, Turkey content with talks on Syria but fate of YPG still unclear

Russian and Turkish officials meet in Moscow following President Trump's decision to withdraw US forces from Syria, but make no public mention of what will happen in Manbij.

Are Turkey, Syria squaring off in response to US decision?

The US announcement that it will pull its troops out of Syria has sparked serious reactions, with Syria repositioning its forces around Manbij and opposition fighters weighing what the outcome could mean for them.